Black Box Theater to host ‘Mission ImPAWSible’
Hickory Dickory Dark Productions will host “Mission ImPAWSible” at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 23, and Saturday, Sept. 24. The show is comprised of three one-act plays all about animals and will raise money for Rescue Angels of Southern Maryland.
Rescue Angels of Southern Maryland is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, grass roots rescue organization founded in 2013 by a group of animal lovers who came together to assist animals in need. Performances will be at the Indian Head Black Box Theatre, located at
School board seeks redistricting committee members
Charles County Public Schools is looking for a few community members to serve on its elementary school redistricting committee.
The school system will select 11 parents to serve on the committee — two each from the middle and high school levels and seven from the elementar y schools. Additionally, the board will select three community members for the committee, which also includes principals, county government planners and Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) staff.
The school system is starting a comprehensive elementar y school redistricting process that will create an attendance zone for the county’s 22nd elementary school and reduce overcrowding at other elementar y schools. The new elementary school will be located off Billingsley Road in White Plains. Construction is expected to be complete before the start of the 2018-19 school year. The committee will also develop rezoning proposals for Dr. Samuel A. Mudd Elementar y School, which is scheduled for a renovation and expansion.
The committee will review and balance student populations as needed at all elementary schools. The board will approve the redistricting by June 2017, and the redistricting will take effect in the fall of 2018.
Applicants must agree to fulfill a four- to fivemonth commitment of attendance at a weekly meeting. The meeting day will be Wednesday, and the time of all meetings is 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Elementar y, middle and high school principals are now accepting names from parents with interest in serving on the committee. Contact your child’s principal to find out the deadline for applying and when the random selection will be made at the school. An application form is available online at www.ccboe. com/redistricting or can be picked up at your child’s school.
Community members must not have a child enrolled in any Charles County public school and must fill out an online application at http://www.ccboe.com/ redistricting/, or call 301-934-7221 to receive an application by mail. Members of the community must apply no later than Oct. 14.
Each elementary, middle and high school will submit to the superintendent the name of one parent to be selected at random from all expressing interest. The board will place the name of a parent from each elementary school in a container and select seven names at random from the 21 submissions. Principals from each of the eight middle schools and seven high schools will follow the same process. The board will randomly select two middle school and two high school parent members.
Three community members will be selected from all applicants. Superintendent Kimberly Hill and the school board will publicly draw the names of parents and the community representatives at the board’s Oct. 18 meeting, which is streamed live on the school system website and aired live on Comcast 96 and Verizon FiOS 12.
Questions about the process can be sent to redistrict@ccboe.com or call 301-934-7221.
Libraries focus on One Maryland One Book
Maryland’s only statewide reading project, called One Maryland One Book, is underway throughout Southern Maryland now through October. The initiative is designed to encourage everyone in the state to read and then discuss one common book. This year’s selection is “All American Boys” by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely.
A program of the Maryland Center for the Book, the goal of One Maryland One Book is to bring together diverse people in communities across the state through the shared experience of reading the same book and participating in book-centered discussions and other related programs.
“All American Boys” is the unforgettable novel about two teens — one black, one white — who grapple with the repercussions of a single violent act that leaves their school, their community and the country bitterly divided by racial tension. Written in tandem by two award-winning authors,
the book shares the alternating perspectives of Rashad and Quinn as the complications from that single violent moment unfold and reverberate to highlight an unwelcome truth.
Both authors will speak at a public event at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, at St. Charles High School in Waldorf. The event is free and open to the public, but seating is limited.
A Reader’s Theater event based on the book and performed by a high school drama club will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 15, at Huntingtown High School. This program is also free and open to the public.
Multiple copies of “All American Boys” are available at any public library in Southern Maryland, including audio (on CD). The book can also be downloaded as a free e-book from the online catalog, COSMOS (cosmos.somd.lib.md.us)
The three Southern Maryland public library systems have developed a variety of programs around the book’s themes, including multiple book discussions throughout the region.
All One Maryland One Book events are free. For more information about program opportunities, visit a local library or its website: Calvert Library (calvertlibrary.info); Charles County Public Library (ccplonline.org); and St. Mary’s County Library (stmalib.org). For a list of One Maryland One Book events throughout the state, go to www.onemarylandonebook.org.
Board seeking input on next year’s school calendar
The Board of Education of Charles County is researching alternatives to the school calendar for next school year and would like feedback from the community. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan (R) recently announced an executive order that requires all public school systems in Maryland to start their school year no earlier than the Tuesday after Labor Day and end by June 15.
The board approved a 2017-18 school calendar earlier this year that does not reflect the mandated changes. The board is seeking community feedback on two options developed to meet the new start and end date requirements. A short, seven-question survey is posted on the school system website at www. ccboe.com/calendar/ calendarsurvey.php.
The board solicits public input and feedback from the community annually when developing the school calendar, which helps staff identify options that work best for students, staff, parents and the community.
Maryland law requires students attend school for 180 days per school year. The Maryland State Board of Education does not count hours towards days of student attendance. For example, a two-hour early dismissal day already counts as one of the 180 required days. While the executive order includes a waiver provision for school districts, no additional clarification or waiver guidelines have been published.
Household hazardous waste collection scheduled for Oct. 1
The Charles County Department of Public Works would like to remind citizens that the next household hazardous waste collection will be held on Saturday, Oct. 1. The household hazardous waste collection site is located in the parking lot of the Department of Public Works building, 10430 Audie Lane, off of Radio Station Road in La Plata. Collection hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Items accepted free of charge include: pesticides, herbicides, fertilizer, gasoline, oilbased paint, cleaning supplies, pool chemicals, fluorescent lights, mercury thermometers and other poisons found in the home. Remember to mark any container that does not have a readable, original label.
Unacceptable materials include bio-medical waste (sharps, needles, anything with bodily fluids), latex paint, prescription drugs and ammunition. Used motor oil, anti-freeze, propane tanks and batteries are accepted on a regular basis at various collection sites. Latex paint is not considered hazardous waste and can be placed in your household trash as long as it is solidified. This can be accomplished by adding kitty litter, shredded paper, paint hardener or sawdust to aid in drying it out.
Household hazardous waste collection will occur on the first Saturday of each month through December. Upcoming 2016 collection dates are: Oct. 1, Nov. 5 and Dec. 3.
For more information, call the Charles County Department of Public Works, Environmental Resources Division at 301-932-3599 or 301-8702778, or the landfill and recycling information line at 301-932-5656. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.
Annual ‘Celebrate Charles: FallFest’ returns Oct. 22
The fifth annual Celebrate Charles: FallFest will be held noon to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22, at Regency Furniture Stadium (11765 St. Linus Drive, Waldorf). This family-friendly event continues to grow in popularity every year. Last year’s event drew 4,000 participants.
Visit the Celebrate Charles Marketplace, which showcases Southern Maryland’s artisans and crafters. Enjoy local live music performed by the Rocknoceros and live entertainment by The Balloon Nerd. All animal lovers are encouraged to visit Tri-County Animal Shelter staff, who will have shelter animals available for adoption.
Cooking demonstrations by A Taste of Southern Maryland are back by popular demand. Stop by to learn new cooking techniques and tips at the “Fabulously Fall Cooking Show.” Featured cooking ingredients will be provided by local farms and businesses.
Children can give their Halloween costumes a trial run on the TrickOr-Treat Trail and can play all day in the Family Fun Zone, which will be full of inflatables, rides and face painting. Admission is free, and the event will be held rain or shine. Food, drink and market items will be available for purchase.
For more information, go to www.CharlesCountyMD.gov/CelebrateCharles, or contact the Crain Memorial Welcome Center at 1-800-766-3386. Citizens with special needs may contact the Mar yland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800735-2258.
County seeks snow removal contractors
The Charles County Department of Public Facilities, Roads Division is currently seeking snow removal contractors for the 2016-17 winter season. Vehicles needed are dump trucks already plumbed to carry county plows and spreaders.
Contractor-owned snow removal equipment is preferred. Applications can be found at www. charlescountymd.gov/ pw/roads/snow-removal.
For more information or to request an application, call the Department of Public Works, Roads Division at 301-932-3454. Citizens with special needs may contact the Maryland Relay Service at 711, or Relay Service TDD: 800-735-2258.